Shower accessory

ABSTRACT

A shower accessory that hangs from the shower rod and laterally displaces a hanging shower curtain to provide greater shoulder width for the user.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a shower accessory that will urge a freelyhanging shower curtain outwardly and generate more room for the user ofthe shower.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Households commonly have bathing tubs that also double as a shower. Manyuse a freely hanging shower curtain suspended from a shower bar toretain water during use as a shower but which can be drawn to eitherside when used as a bathing tub. Soap, shampoo and hair conditionerproducts are often balanced on any sort of ledge in the tub area or in ashower products storage device hanging from the supply pipe of theshower head that extends from the wall.

Such bath/shower combinations have a tub of a width, length and heightto capture a volume of water that is adequate for bathing but which isnot so excessive as to represent a source of waste. Such considerationstypically form bathing tubs that are well suited for bathing smallchildren but ill-suited for adults who prefer to take showers. Thehanging shower curtain inside the tub wall effectively decreases alreadyrelatively narrow width of the tub and can serve as a source ofdiscomfort by those of relatively broad shoulders who may need to standsideways to soap and shower themselves adequately.

It would be desirable to have an accessory that could be used with anyshower curtain rod to provide the user with more space when showering.

It would also be desirable to have a shower accessory that was designedto store shower and personal care products at a convenient height forthe user bathing by shower.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the invention to provide a shower accessory thatwill increase the space available while using the shower.

It is also an objective of the invention to provide a shower accessorythat will be useful with virtually any shower rod and curtainconfiguration.

In accordance with these and other objectives that will become apparentfrom the description herein, a shower accessory according to theinvention includes (a) a support frame having at least one suspendinghook at a first end thereof and exhibiting an axis of rotation when saidframe is suspended from a horizontally disposed shower bar, (b) acounterweight on said support frame and located below said at least onehook, and (c) a shower curtain displacement bar attached to said supportframe, said displacement bar exhibiting an extended length along an axisthat is substantially parallel to said axis of rotation, whereby saidcounterweight and said displacement are positioned on said support frameso as to generate a rotational moment about said axis of rotation andurge said counterweight into a resting position that is substantiallybelow said shower bar and urge said displacement bar to a second restingposition.

The shower accessory of the present invention works with virtually anyshower rod and curtain to displace the shower curtain laterally andprovide greater width to the enclosed area when showering. Suchadditional width is more comfortable for the user, especially if theuser has broad shoulders and/or prefers a greater width of space forbathing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment according to the invention with two hooks,a basket for shower products that will act as a counterweight and a baror tubular member that acts as a shower curtain displacement member.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment with a single hanging hook, a centrallylocated counterweight and a lower curtain displacement member.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment with a bottom counterweight and acentrally located curtain displacement member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is conveniently described with reference to the attachedfigures and using a spatial orientation as the device is oriented whenin use, e.g., hanging downwardly from a horizontally extended shower rodthat also carries or is adjacent to a freely hanging shower curtain.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shower accessory includes a support frame 1having a pair of hooked arm members 2, 3 that will engage a shower rod(not shown) and allow the accessory to hang downwardly therefrom. Eachhooked arm 2, 3 is connected with basket 4 by upper frame arms 5, 6.Horizontal brace 7 extends between upper frame arms 5, 6 to providesupport for frame 1. Basket 4 may be integrally formed with upper arms5, 6 as shown or may be connected to arms 5, 6 by a suitable fastener,weld, solder or adhesive connection.

Lower arms 8, 9 are also integrally formed with the bottom base 10 ofbasket 4 or may be connected thereto by the same techniques asidentified above for upper aims 5, 6. Arms 8, 9 connected to curtaindisplacement member 11 which may take substantially any geometric crosssection shape, e.g., square, rectangular, round, triangular, hexagonal,etc. Member 11 is preferably straight (as shown) or may itself bearcuate and bowing outwardly (not shown). One or more of upper arms 5, 6or lower arms 8, 9 may be made of a rigid material (formed and coatedmetal, plastics, fiber reinforced composites, etc.) or of a deformablematerial that allows the user to bend such arms to suit personal tastesfor shower curtain displacement or lack thereof.

It is contemplated that a user of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 wouldplace one or more personal care products (shower gel, shampoo,conditioner, and the like) in basket 4. Such items add weight to basket4 and allow it to serve as a counterweight for the accessory so that thedownward pull of gravity 11 exerts a rotational force around axis 12.Displacement member 11 is thus urged outwardly against the hangingshower curtain thereby forming a greater width to the shower area insidethe curtain.

FIGS. 2 and 3 depict embodiments having support frames 20, 30 having asingle top hooked arm 21, 31 connected to or integrally formed withrelatively straight upper arms 22, 32 and curved or arcuate lower arms23, 33. The FIG. 2 embodiment has counterweight 24 in a central positionabove a downwardly arcuate lower arm 22 terminating in connecteddisplacement member 25. The FIG. 3 embodiment uses displacement member35 in a central position above an upwardly arcuate lower arms 33 thatterminates in counterweight 34.

The size of counterweights 24, 34 are dependent on the type of materialthat is used in the counterweight member. Preferred materials includecoated lead, zinc, brass, and similar high density materials that willexert an adequate rotational force to displace member 25, 35 outwardlyagainst the hanging shower curtain and thereby provide a rotationalforce 26, 36 around the rotation axis of hook arm 21, 31.

It is understood that the embodiments illustrated in the presentinvention are preferred and are not intended to serve as substantivelimitations on the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A shower accessory that laterally displaces afreely hanging shower curtain and thereby provides additional width,said accessory comprising: (a) a support frame having at least onesuspending hook at a first end thereof and exhibiting an axis ofrotation when said frame is suspended from a horizontally disposedshower bar, (b) a counterweight on said support frame and located belowsaid at least one hook, and (c) a shower curtain displacement barattached to said support frame, said displacement bar exhibiting anextended length along an axis that is substantially parallel to saidaxis of rotation, whereby said counterweight and said displacement arepositioned on said support frame so as to generate a rotational momentabout said axis of rotation and urge said counterweight into a restingposition that is substantially below said shower bar and urge saiddisplacement bar to a second resting position.
 2. A shower accessoryaccording to claim 1 wherein said counterweight comprises a basket.
 3. Ashower accessory according to claim 1 wherein said displacement bar isattached to said support frame at substantially a mid-point of saidframe and said counterweight is connected at a second end of saidsupport frame.
 4. A shower accessory according to claim 1 wherein saidcounterweight is attached to said support frame at substantially amid-point of said frame and said displacement bar is connected at asecond end of said support frame.